Deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon: How Fast is it Occurring?

Abstract

"Estimates of how much of the Brazilian Amazon's rainforest has been cleared, and how fast this process is presently occurring vary sharply. Even more striking are the differences in interpretation of how fast forest clearing is likely to be in the future, and whether present trends are a cause for concern. It is important to examine available information on present rates and likely trends for the region as a whole, and to examine in greater detail the deforestation process in one of the current foci of felling activity: the Federal Territory of Rondonia."